Bubble Wrap Competition Winner Plans to Change Lives of Amputees
(ARA) - Grayson Rosenberger, a 15-year-old boy from Nashville, Tenn., plans to change the world with Bubble Wrap cushioning -- and he credits his mother, a double-leg amputee for 12 years, and his family’s work with amputees in Africa, as being his inspiration.
His parents’ non-profit organization, Standing With Hope, works with the government of Ghana to train workers to create high-quality prosthetic limbs. Many of these patients desire cosmetic coverings for their new limbs, but most of these skin-like outer layers cost more than $1,000 in the United States -- an unrealistic cost for the non-profit and its recipients in Africa.
“I heard about some of the people my parents provided limbs for in Africa, whose classmates would tease them about their prosthetic legs,” Rosenberger says. “I wanted to give them a chance to feel more normal, and like they fit in better with their peers.”
After hearing about Sealed Air Corporation’s Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Inventors from a science teacher at school, he set out to invent a more cost-effective cosmetic skin covering designed to conceal the prosthetic limb and create the appearance of muscle tone -- providing a new sense of self-confidence to those who might not otherwise be able to afford a more expensive covering.
Rosenberger makes his product by molding several sizes of Bubble Wrap layers. By attaching these layers to the prosthetic, he found he could use a heat gun to mold the wrap to simulate real muscle tone. He finishes by covering the plastic mold with socks or pantyhose to better resemble a real leg. Instead of $1,000, his creation costs less than $15.
Not only did Rosenberger succeed in making his vision a reality, but he won the top prize in the competition, earning a $10,000 U.S. savings bond and a trip to New York City. Now Rosenberger plans to take his idea and goodwill, along with a supply of Bubble Wrap cushioning, to Africa this summer to create cosmetic coverings for prosthetic patients.
Sealed Air sponsored the competition, which attracted nearly 800 entries from 38 states. Entries were judged in coordination with the National Museum of Education and were ranked based on their originality, creativity, usefulness, benefit to society, marketability and feasibility, as well as overall presentation. Submissions ranged from a Bubble Wrap stress-relief doll and seed incubator to a drum muffler and insulated roman shade.
The second and third place winners also won a trip to New York City to celebrate Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, $5,000 and $3,000 respectively in savings bonds, as well as gift bags from OfficeMax.
Megan Guerrero, 13, of San Angelo, Texas, won second place for her invention, “The Empire State Building: A Three-Dimensional Construction Project,” a creative work of art and clever architectural puzzle that uses custom-cut pieces of Bubble Wrap cushioning to create a 2.5 foot replica of the Empire State Building.
Third place winner, Alex Chalcraft, a 13-year-old from Gilbert, Ariz., invented “The Easy Check Chore Chart,” a chore chart that embodies the fun of popping Bubble Wrap cushioning while engaging children to stay focused and complete their daily chores.
Sealed Air is widely recognized for its strong commitment to innovation, and continues to be an industry leader in research and development. People who want to learn more about Bubble Wrap brand cushioning and this year’s competition, or sign up to be notified of future competitions, can visit www.bubblewrap.com/competition for more information.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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